OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE

1997 AGENCY REPORT

Prepared for the

THIRTY-NINTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE TECHNICAL SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE CANADA-UNITED STATES GROUNDFISH COMMITTEE

by
William H. Barss

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
2040 SE Marine Science Drive
Newport, OR 97365

April 1998

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE
AGENCY REPORT FOR TSC, 1997

In 1997, Don Bodenmiller filled the new Project Leader position for the Recreational Finfish Project Leader position effective June 1997. In September 1997, Finfish special studies biologist, Mike Hose, retired. See APPENDIX A for Marine Finfish Program personnel.

Staff participated in RecFIN committee work and planning. Sampling of marine anglers was conducted in 1996 and continues in 1997. ODFW also conducts an intensive ocean boat sampling program during the summer months.

Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey (MRFSS) samplers collected demographic and creel data from 8,700 anglers. Coastwide species composition sampling continues on recreational catches. Length or length and weight data were collected form 9,700 fish and 53 finfish species. MRFSS preliminary data indicate anglers made 511,000 trips (excluding ocean boat trips in July and August) in Oregon in 1997, which is a 2% increase from 1996. The top three groundfish species landed by weight were black rockfish, lingcod and blue rockfish.

Other management activities included data analysis and sponsoring several public hearings relative to management of the Pacific halibut and lingcod fisheries. See the species specific section for more details.

Contact Don Bodenmiller for more information (541) 867-4741

For more information contact Mark Saelens (541) 867-4741

The shrimp project evaluated two fish excluders in 1997, the Willapa and the Fisheye. Both devices showed some promise, however, codend collapse was observed to some degree with both devices. We now believe that codend collapse is responsible for much of the variation observed to date in fish excluder performance. Future work on excluders will not likely take place for 1-2 years, but when resumed, will focus on this issue.

4. The shrimp project began a new 2-year research project in cooperation with Gil Sylvia and Michael Morissey of Oregon State University this year. The project involves constructing a bio-economic model of the pink shrimp fishery. One aspect of this project involves using a new logbook format to try and capture a variety of economic data, including information on the operational costs generated by unwanted fish bycatch. Another aspect consists of trying to measure how a number of factors influence product quality, including high levels of fish bycatch.

For more information contact Bob Hannah at (541) 867-4741.

5. ODFW continued to coordinate a cooperative observation program to monitor bycatch and collect biological samples of unsorted Pacific whiting landings made at shoreside processors. Cooperators are the fishing industry, CDFG, WDFW, PSMFC, NMFS, and PFMC. Observers and staff obtained age samples from 973 yellowtail rockfish, 839 widow rockfish, 160 sablefish, 1,075 jack mackerel, 1,261 Pacific mackerel and 1,640 Pacific whiting. Additional length frequency samples were taken on Pacific whiting.

For more information contact Hal Weeks (541) 867-4741

Our EDCP (Enhanced groundfish Data Collection Program) continued during 1997 and we intend to operate it through 1998 and perhaps 1999. This is a cooperative industry project with the Oregon Trawl Commission (OTC). National Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Fisheries Research, Analysis and Monitoring Division (NMFS/NWFSC/FRAM) and the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC) have also been major cooperators in the project along with support from the other states and the West Coast Seafood Processors Association.

Our goal for the program was to place observers aboard 5-10 vessels per month, and to establish 20-30 additional vessels which will maintain an Aenhanced@ logbook (record discards and prohibited species), and retain salmon bycatch. Our efforts since November 1995 have never reached that level of coverage; however we gauge this project as mostly successful given that it was intended to be a Apilot@ project which would act as a foundation for a more robust observer program in the future.

During 1997 we placed observers aboard 9 vessels in Oregon and 4 in Washington. For these vessels we observed 491 tows in Oregon and 174 tows in Washington. An additional 16 vessels maintained enhanced logbooks on 177 trips composed of 1,251 tows. Total tows with data combined from observed tows and tows with only an enhanced logbook for 1997 should be about 1,742 tows. Combining 1995-97 data results in about 1,443 observed tows and an additional 1,600-1,700 enhanced logbook tows.

Our efforts to estimate halibut bycatch in area 2A continued by assisting the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) with generating more recent estimates of Pacific halibut bycatch.

We provided catch, effort, catch-at-age and other data as need to support the following stock assessments - Pacific whiting, yellowtail rockfish, lingcod, Dover sole, longspine thornyhead, shortspine thornyhead, sablefish and widow rockfish.

The Cooperative Reef Ecosystem (CORE) study continued work on subtidal rocky bottom habitats off the Oregon coast near Port Orford. ODFW biologists completed three tasks during 1997. The first was an attempt to examine fish response to kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) harvest. The experimental design included a series of visual fish belt transects in kelp harvest and control plots both before and after harvest. Per-harvest surveys were completed, but early onset of storms (September 1997) precluded both kelp harvest and post-harvest surveys. The second task was a second year of estimating of kelp canopy biomass. This task involved aerial photography, kelp bed mapping, and kelp plant density and weight analysis. Although kelp canopy surface area increased two-fold from 1996 to 1997, average plant weights decreased significantly, and overall biomass was slightly lower in 1997 than 1996. The third task was examination of small-scale oceanographic variation on Orford Reef using moored recording thermistors and a vessel-deployed CTD. The results showed a pattern of variation in bottom temperature timed with the tidal cycle that suggests a mechanism of pulsed delivery of subthermocline water to the reef by internal tidal bores. The study also provided further evidence of delays in along-shore water transport over the reef. The results of this work are summarized in Miller, et al. (1997).

The Marine Resources Program of ODFW maintains a small GIS program to meet our marine spatial and geographic analysis needs. Over the past 10 years, we have focused on analysis of trawl logbook data, meeting mapping needs for a management initiative on Oregon=s rocky shores, and GIS analysis associated with subtidal rocky reef and kelp forest studies on Oregon=s south coast.

Our GIS program uses a variety of software depending on the type of analysis, including:

For information contact Dave Fox or Jim Golden (541) 867-4741 or dave.fox@hmsc.orst.edu

Determining biological characteristics of Pacific and jack mackerel was a new project from ODFW=s marine program starting in 1996. During 1997, over 2,800 Pacific mackerel and 1,200 jack mackerel were sampled from both offshore and nearshore areas. Offshore Pacific mackerel were generally older than those found nearshore. Hack mackerel were mostly found offshore. Sardines were also observed in small numbers offshore and samples were shipped to California for study.

Another aspect of the project was a food habit study investigating predation on salmon smolts by Pacific mackerel. Approximately 600 fish were sampled (troll caught) on a charter trip off the mouth of the Columbia River. In addition, another 60 fish were sampled from other nearshore areas and approximately 550 fish were collected offshore. No salmon smolts were identified in these 1997 samples.

If funds remain available, we plan to continue biological and salmon predation studies in 1998.

Contact Don Bodenmiller for more information (541) 867-4741

Developmental Fisheries was a new project for the Marine Region in 1995. Administratively, the project is in the shellfish program; however, it deals with finfish as well as shellfish.

The 1993 Oregon Legislature created the Developmental Fisheries Program to allow for controlled development of new fisheries. The legislation created the Developmental Fishery Board, made up of nine members and five ex-officio members from a broad range of fishing interests. Under the legislation, the Developmental Fisheries Board annually recommends to the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission a list of food fish species that are considered to be developmental and a harvest program which includes a limited entry system.

In 1997, a total of 145 permits were issued for all species; 32 permits for finfish species. The main finfish interest was for swordfish, which had 2 permit issued for longline gear, and 10 permits for gillnet gear. Other species for which we issued permits were hagfish (12), blue shark (4), and anchovy/herring (4).

The majority of the landings of developmental species was as by-catch in other established fisheries. In directed fisheries, there were 24,172 pounds of and 12,729 of swordfish were landed in Oregon in 1997.

Contact Jean McCrae for more information (541) 867-4741.

Twelve months of in-kind supervision and Alead worker@ oversight were provide for the Cooperative Ageing Project (CAP). Our ageing technicians continued to read black rockfish, canary rockfish, darkblotched rockfish, Dover sole and sablefish otoliths. ODFW sport collections for black were completed through 1995. Canary otoliths for ODFW 1995 and WDFW 1995-96 were read. A collection of CDFG darkblotched otoliths were completed. We worked on a backlog of Dover sole otoliths that have built up since our deep involvement with sablefish ageing - 1995 ODFW otoliths are complete, WDFW samples through 1996 are done.. We focused on additional sablefish ageing to support the revised stock assessment which will be completed during 1998.

Our ageing specialist worked as a junior author in the preparation of a Dover sole age examination manuscript which will be prepared for publication. Catch-at-age data was provided to support the final Dover sole and widow rockfish assessments.

In 1997, our ageing specialist trained a new half time black rockfish ager.

Contact Bob Mikus for more information on ageing (541) 867-4741.

No work was conducted on Pacific cod. Few fish were found in the trawl landings. Total Oregon Pacific cod landings were down compared to landings in 1996 with about 115,644 pounds (52.5 mt) compared to 185,068 pounds (84.3 mt) in 1996.

Most sampling is limited to species composition sampling. Length frequency samples were taken on selected species. In ODFW=s Enhanced Data Collection project, ageing structures were collected form retained or discarded catch of darkblotch rockfish, splitnose rockfish, greenstripe rockfish, redstripe rockfish, sharpchin rockfish, silvergray rockfish, stripetail rockfish, pygmy rockfish, rosethorn rockfish, shortspine thornyhead, and longspine thornyhead.

Sampling included species composition sampling, and length frequency sampling. Oregon landings of longspine thornyhead were 4,011,307 pounds (1,819.5 mt) in 1997 which was about a 17.0% decrease from 1996. Oregon landings of shortspine thornyhead were 1,119,289 pounds (608.0 mt) in 1997 which was about 16.3% decrease from 1996.

Our 6-day trip was successful. We were able to field fish a pot survey in a timely and cost effective manner aboard a commercial vessel. Permitting the vessel to sell all sablefish and legal bycatch allowed ODFW to conduct research without a budget for this work and enabled the compensation for the cooperating fishers. Depth specific data on sablefish catch was obtained. We were able to document methods of conducting a pot survey with minimal scientific crew and suggest improvements for this type effort. While we were able to observe and sample some small sablefish, we were unable to find evidence of a large incoming year class.

Additional information is provided in a cruise report by Barss titled ACruise Results of the Cooperative Sablefish Pot Survey Conducted off Oregon, October 13-18, 1997.

Contact Bill Barss for additional information (541) 867-4741.

Contact Bob Mikus for additional information on aging(541) 867-4741.

Age structures were also collected from retained or discarded catch by ODFW=s Enhanced Data Collection Project for Dover sole, Deepsea sole and English sole.

Contact Mark Saelens for additional information (541) 867-4741.

Oregon flatfish landings, excluding Pacific halibut, were down slightly by 3.2% in 1997 at 15,867,433 pounds (7,197.4 mt) compared to 16,389,797 pounds (7,434.4 mt) in 1996. Dover sole was down 15.4% to 8,742,732 pounds (3,965.7 mt) compared to 10,334,613 pounds (4,699.5 mt) in 1996. Landings of English sole were up 40.9% to 1,212,798 pounds (550.1 mt) compared to 860,721 pounds (390.4 mt) in 1996. Landings of petrale sole were up% to 1,778,186 (806.6 mt) compared to 1,588,255 pounds (720.4 mt) in 1996. Landings of arrowtooth flounder were up by 3.9% at 2,561,764 pounds (1,162.1 mt) compared to 2,465,395 pounds (1,118.3 mt) in 1996. Pacific sanddab landings were up 232% at 531,909 pounds (241.3%) compared to 229,009 pounds (103.9 mt) in 1996.

Contact Don Bodenmiller for more information (541) 867-4741.

ODFW continued to coordinate a cooperative observation program to monitor bycatch and collect biological samples of unsorted Pacific whiting landings made at shoreside processors. Cooperators are the fishing industry, CDFG, WDFW, PSMFC, NMFS, and PFMC.

Oregon landings and observations were made at Newport and Astoria. Landings and observations were also made at Ilwaco and Westport, WA through WDFW and at Crescent City and Eureka, CA through CDFG. Overall, 14% of whiting landings were observed over the course of the season. Sampling and observations were conducted from April through the season end in late-August. Two Washington, four California and six Oregon processors, and forty three vessels participated in the program. Experimental Fishing Permits (EFPs) were issued by NMFS through CDFG and ODFW to participating vessels to permit the landing of unsorted whiting; participating vessels with EFPs were exempted from prohibitions on landing prohibited species (Pacific halibut and salmon) and groundfish trip limit overages. Prohibited species and the monetary value of trip limit overages were turned over to the state of landing.

Approximately 87,500 mt of Pacific whiting were landed at shoreside processors, compared to approximately 84, 700 mt in 1996. Oregon processors received approximately 84% of total landings, Washington processors received approximately 13%, and the balance was landed in California. The overall salmon bycatch rate was 0.017 salmon per mt whiting; this is higher than in 1996 (0.008 salmon/mt), and sharply lower from the 0.032 salmon/mt whiting in 1995. A one month season delay (to 15 June) for the fishery off Oregon and Washington (N of 42° N), appears to have contributed to the decreased salmon bycatch rate early in the season. A total of 1,484 salmon (1,482 Chinook and 2 coho); were taken as bycatch in this fishery and turned over to state agencies in 1997 - this compares to 651 Chinook in 1996 and 2,972 Chinook salmon in 1995. In Oregon , all salmon in acceptable condition are turned over to hunger relief agencies Other species with notable bycatch volumes are yellowtail rockfish (508 thousand pounds), widow rockfish (350 thousand pounds) and mackerel (chub and jack mackerel combined - 4.7 million pounds). Bycatch rates for mackerel were sharply higher relative to 1996; we note the correlation of this increased bycatch with warmer ocean temperature conditions. Bycatch of yellowtail and widow rockfish dropped by 53% and 73% respectively.

In 1997, the ODFW Finfish and Ocean Salmon programs, in cooperation with NMFS, prepared a comprehensive report of salmon bycatch in the Pacific whiting fisheries. The report addressed both shoreside and at-sea whiting fisheries for the years 1991-1996, and provided the coded wire tag recovery information for all marked salmon recovered.

For more information contact Hal weeks (541) 867-4741 (a report regarding 1997 whiting is available at the ODFW MRP web site: www.hmsc. orst. edu/odfw/)

No work was conducted on dogfish. Landings continue to decline with only 14,517 pounds (6.6 mt) in 1997 which was down 48.3% from 1995.

Age samples were collected and sent to NMFS, Tiburon for age determination. Oregon landings were 1,688,583 pounds (765.9 mt) which is up 7.3% from 1996 landings of 1,573,968 pounds (714 mt).

ODFW also plans to collect age samples from the recreational fishery in 1998. Also new for 1998 is a 24 inch minimum length for recreational and commercial fisheries with a 100 pound per trip allowance for fish less than 24 inches in the commercial trawl fishery.

For more information contact Darrell Pruden (541) 888-5515.

APPENDIX A
Marine Finfish Program

Barss, W. H. 1997. Cruise Results of the Cooperative Sablefish Pot Survey Conducted off Oregon, October 13-18, 1997. Newport, OR: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. 11pp.

Gray, A. E., T. J. Mulligan and R. W. Hannah. 1997. Food Habits, occurrence, and population structure of the bat ray, Myliobaticus californica, in Humboldt Bay, California. Env. Biol. of Fishes 49:227-238.

Miller, B.; D. Fox; A. Merems; M. Amend. 1997. Coastal Zone Management Section 309 grant: 1997 kelp/reef habitat assessment. Newport, OR: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. 40pp.

Weeks, H. and L. Hutton. 1997 Pacific whiting shoreside observation program. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. 27Pp.